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Duquette likely to focus on pitching at Meetings

Duquette likely to focus on pitching at Meetings

Orioles executive Dan Duquette chats with MLB Network at the Winter Meetings about how his plans to build up the Orioles

By Brittany Ghiroli
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MLB.com |

DALLAS -- Baseball's annual Winter Meetings kick off from the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on Monday, and Orioles.com will have you covered on all the essential happenings over the next four days.

Reporters, general managers, agents, managers and hordes of other front-office officials have gathered in Texas for a packed schedule of luncheons, meetings and Thursday's Rule 5 Draft. But the most exciting part of the Winter Meetings is sure to be the flurry of rumors and offseason activity as baseball's free agents start to come off the board and trade talks heat up with all 30 clubs under one roof.

We'll have you covered here each day -- all day -- with relevant rumors, impending signings and any other noteworthy news that relates to the Orioles. You will be able to find daily reports on the main site, with the blog and Twitter providing complements to the coverage and adding another layer of analysis.

In a new addition this year, Orioles.com will post an exclusive interview with new executive vice president Dan Duquette, who will be answering select questions submitted by fans. For a chance at possible inclusion send your Orioles query in through the Inbox submission form. Duquette, who is expected to be more active in the trade market than free agency, could announce several front-office additions at the meetings as well. He will meet with the media every evening to recap the day's events.

Manager Buck Showalter will address the media on Monday, and, in his second offseason in Baltimore, should offer plenty of insight and analysis. He could also finalize his coaching staff over the four-day meetings, and given that Showalter has a highly valued opinion regarding the club's offseason moves, his interview could certainly get the ball rolling in Dallas.

There are lot of question marks for an Orioles team that is focused on upgrading its pitching staff, both in the rotation and bullpen, and finding another outfielder who can back up Adam Jones in center. But the biggest question for a club which will also look to add depth at nearly every position is how will Duquette fare in his first foray in nearly a decade?

Let us know what you think his priorities should be, and who you would target if given Duquette's resources. Who should be in the Orioles' rotation next year? Who would you be willing to dangle as trade bait and who would you build around? Which free agents make the most sense for the organization, and which players do you think are worth taking a risk on?

As discussions all around the Major Leagues start to the dominate in Dallas, go right ahead and start yours.